In New Mexico, road trip food is a category all its own.
Tom’s Hot Fries, pinons, pistachios, and Sonic tots all have a place in the New Mexico Road Trip Snacks CANON, if you will.
But the SUPREME ACHIEVEMENT in New Mexico road trip food has to be, and has always been… THE ALLSUP’S BURRITO.
Hot gooey innards in a crispy fried flour tortilla shell, the “GUT GRENADE” Allsup’s burrito has been keeping passengers’ bellies full (and a little off) since 1845. I made that up, but it’s been a long time.
Next time you see an Allsup’s, pull over and grab one of these bad boys. Check the map to make sure there’s a bathroom within the next 50 miles, then chow down. Add some Tom’s Hot Fries (NOT Andy Capps, what are you a Texan?) and an Allsup’s Dr. Pepper (with ice) and you have my teen years in consumable form.
There are over 300 Allsup’s locations in more than 160 towns and cities, so if you are throwing a cruise through New Mexico, I can assure you, THERE’S ONE NEAR YOU. (Get it, that’s the Allsup’s tag line. It’s smart because it’s true.)
Check out their DEEP FRIED PIZZA and other treats and see all their locations here: allsups.com
Have a favorite burrito “flavor”? Leave us a note in the comments! We want to try them all… and maybe that deep fried pizza.
I’m pretty sure I might have found a restaurant that serves the best green chile in the state. Nay, not just the best green chile, but perhaps the best New Mexican food I’ve had. Okay, maybe that’s too bold of a statement. Besides, I haven’t eaten at every restaurant in the state that serves New Mexican food. There could be a lovely little place in Datil that really deserves the honor of “the best”.
However, I am going to say that Horseman’s Haven Café serves the best New Mexican food and green chile in Santa Fe. A group of us went to restaurant after our rafting trip, based off of a recommendation of a friend. She did warn us to not be thrown off about the location. It’s located next to a gas station and from the outside looks like it could be an iffy place. But as I’m not particularly prissy, I was game. Besides, I was famished and had already started to secretly eye my friends to see which one’s arm I could gnaw off. The inside of Horseman’s has a typical country diner feel, with an open kitchen, plenty of tables and chairs and booths big enough to seat the nine of us.
I think my friends realized their limbs might be in imminent danger as they kept placing the chips and salsa directly in front of me. The chips were thicker than most chips I’ve eaten at restaurants. The salsa was full of flavor and fresh. It also was less chunky than most salsa. But while it had flavor, it wasn’t particularly hot.
Seriously, measure the thickness on these things.
For my meal, I ordered a 3D burrito which comes with papas, a choice of meat and chile. Most of my friends also ordered the 3D as well, with variations on the meat and chile. My cousin ordered a combination plate just so that she could have a side of posole, to which I mocked her openly. I have a deep, abiding bitterness towards hominy–it’s just gross. But I did acknowledge the fact that it was cool that posole was an option as a side item, not something that I find is standard at most restaurants.
Apparently, there are different levels of chile that you can order at Horseman’s. I’ve heard that Level I is hot chile and Level 2 is for people who don’t cry at the end of “The Notebook”—you know, tough hombres. I myself probably fall somewhere like a 1.75. I like my chile really, really hot. If I’m not sweating and crying, it’s just not enjoyable. But I’m not above bawling like a baby if chile is too hot (or at “The Notebook” because come on, he wrote her all those letters). I didn’t see level options on the menu and our waiter didn’t ask us. I’m guessing he looked at us and made a command decision.**
So I’m not sure which level of chile I had smothered all over my burrito, but that’s okay. Because my burrito was delightful. In fact, I’m going to go out on a very corny limb and suggest that the 3D in the burrito stands for delightful, decadent and delicious! I say decadent because the burrito was huge. I didn’t even finish half the burrito and remember, I was this close to eating my friends before we walked into the café. The chicken tasted fresh, the papas were cubed and fried to perfection and then there was the green chile. I sweated. I cried. The chile was so hot it burned my lips and I fell in love more with each bite and each tear. Everyone else commented that they enjoyed their food as well. I will say the green chile was preferable to the red chile. Those at the table who got the red seemed a bit disappointed over the lack of heat, and I sensed their envious and bitter looks out of the corner of my eye. But that also could have been just looks of embarrassment as I was making odd moaning noises after each bite. I’m telling you, the green chile was good.
3D burrito with chicken and green chile.
And here’s how you really know Horseman’s Have Café is worth trying out. My cousin insisted I try her posole. I did and guess what? It was great! I might even try it as a side when I’m at Horseman’s next time. Maybe. If the hominy behaves itself.
**I went back to Horseman’s in August and asked to have a side of Level 2. I did warn the waitress that if I cried to not take it personally, that it was just likely me being too wussy for the chile. She said that Level 2 only comes as a side, it’s way too hot to have smothered on your food. I put some on my stuffed sopapilla (not as good as the 3-D burrito, but good) and took a bite. It was the hottest, most flavorful chile I have ever eaten. Like seriously, four hours later I could still taste the chile on my lips. Totally worth it. And I didn’t cry!
Blake’s Lotaburger is a staple of New Mexico fast food cuisine, with more than 70 locations currently operating statewide. Around since 1952, Lotaburger specializes in fresh hamburgers, particularly green chile hamburgers. And lucky for me and for you, many of the locations serve breakfast burritos. Their basic breakfast burritos are made with two eggs, hash browns and either red or green chile. From there, you can choose from a selection of additional options, including beans, sausage, bacon, and more. Even better, Lotaburger allows you the option of smothering your burrito with red or green chile sauce. Which to me, anything smothered with green chile is just happiness.
Great ratio of goodness!
On this occasion, I selected a sausage breakfast burrito with green chile and smothered with green chile sauce. It was topped with cheddar cheese and garnished with lettuce and tomatoes. The burrito had the perfect ratio of ingredients, just the right combination of sausage, egg, hash browns and green chile. Even better, the green chile had quite a kick to it. Often (and especially at fast food places) the chile is super mild, which, to a NM girl like me, is just sad.
In my mind, there were only two small factors that kept this from being the perfect breakfast burrito. The cheddar cheese that topped the burrito looked as if it had been microwaved and was a bit too chewy. Additionally, the tomatoes that garnished the burrito were full slices, not cubed. And while I enjoy a good tomato, I prefer full slices in a sandwich. Having them on a breakfast burrito left me a wee bit flummoxed. These two factors aside, Lotaburger offers fantastic breakfast burritos for foodies on the go!
What is your favorite Lotaburger burrito? I’d love to try something new and amazing! Let me know in the comments.
Eating New Mexico 